Multiple Failed Installations.... zero communication

[JBe]

Hi all - desperate plea of help here 😢

Since ordering Broadband services on October 11th we are still without Internet.  Installation promised 4th November. Engineer turned up to set up in house.   No cables from street so couldn't.   November 24th - Engineer turned up to set up in house.  No cables from street so couldn't.  Today is Dec 7th.   No cables in street.   Next date set 10th Dec.   Guess what's going to happen on that day......

We have been without internet now for an unacceptable period of time due to continued failed installation attempts by Virgin Media or their contractors.   We also have a vunerable person staying with us and have relayed that to VM.   

The time we have wasted either taking time off work to be present for the installs and stuck in the system of their call centres trying to get any sensible information is truly shocking

The following complaint numbers refer and are all unresolved.   (Moderators please blank if more appropriate):

C-031221667

C-021221648
C-121121542

We're not normally 'complainers' and just want to understand what has gone wrong and for someone to take ownership of this and stop the generic rhetoric / fob-offs we get from all of our attempts to contact VM.   And urgently connect us to the internet.  That's all we ask.

In the absence of any sensible response could we refer a dispute to the European Online Dispute Resolution (“ODR”) platform at http://ec.europa.eu/odr.  or cisas@cedr.com?    I add this out of total desperation and zero communication from VM.  We feel trapped.

Additionally, should we be discussing compensation and breach of contract?   I'm sure if the shoe was on the other foot we'd be receiving letters of this type by now?

We have asked on multiple occasions for a manager or supervisor to explain to us what has gone wrong here, and why we have wasted so much time trying to extract information from Virgin Media.   But still no-one in a position of authority has contacted us.    We are totally stuck and deflated by the whole experience.   It's mentally draining.

I can't believe a company is allowed to operate like this in this day and age.  

Sorry for the rant, thanks for reading

Thank you in advance for any help or pointers....

[Hayley_S]

Hello @JBe,

I am sorry for everything so far.

Please do let us know how it goes today.

Many thanks,

[Andrew-G]

My money is on @JBe looking out the window, and the only visible movement being tumbleweed blowing past. 

I'm sorry if that turns out to be true, I'm sorry for probably making light of your predicament with the comment above, and I take my hat off to you for politeness, understanding and resilience in the face of VM's structural ineptitude.  I and others have tried to highlight what VM need to do, and to embarrass the company into behaving better, with no success.  All I can suggest is that you and all others affected complain (repeatedly) to Ofcom.  Ofcom won't intervene directly, but at least you're using all the levers to put pressure on the company.

[JBe]

Tuesday 4th Jan, 8pm

Go Live day!!!!    As excited as a child on Christmas morning!!     Making sure I'm at home all afternoon per the text message - 1pm to 6pm install window.   Got a phonecall from a (different) VM Engineer (Tom?) this afternoon..... "I'll be there in 30mins to connect you up!!!"       

"Brilliant" I say.... "Can't wait"!   

Engineer duly arrives, pokes around outside and I get notified that....

.

.

.

.

wait for it....

.

.

.

.

.

" sorry Sir it seems like there are no cables in the street yet"   !!!!!!!        

Beyond crazy 

Think that was VM Engineer visit number 6... 😆😆😆.  Wonder if I can get to Double figures - do I get a star prize for that?

[John_GS]

Hi JBe

Thanks for coming back to us. I am sorry for the install delay. I can see you've spoke to the team today who have advised further regarding this.

Please do pop back if you need further assistance.

Kind regards,

[JBe]

Hi John

Thank you for your note

For the record, the text chat with the Asian call centre went exactly as usual - something along the lines of:

VM:  "We are trying to contact you, 2 voicemails were left asking me to call the usual 0345 number , please contact us"

so I did.    

VM "How can I help you?"

Me "You tell me - you ask me to make contact!

10 min wait

VM: "Sorry to inform this. Installation has been placed on hold due to external cabling issue.   If you want to reschedule the installation to next available date I will help you?  The installation is staged to not done as external cabling work not yet completed    Next available date is 20/2/2022 1pm - 6pm"

Basically nothing new, they can't help me or tell me anything.  Just rebooking another fake appointment which has happened 4 or 5 times already, without anyone investigating why the cabling is not being done.  

So thanks for following up John, but a total waste of everybody's time. Again.

[Lee_R]

Thanks for getting back to us @JBe

I am really sorry to hear there's been no progress with your installation.  I would like to take a closer look on your behalf.  I am going to send you a private message.

Regards

Lee_R

[JBe]

Hi Lee

FYI I replied to your PM on Monday (Weds today) - let me know if you've not received it please

I'll also share any non-account related information on this public thread in case it helps others.

For total transparency I have been in touch with CISAS/CEDR (since it's been more than 8 weeks from my original complaint and no-one from VM has been in touch with me to attempt to resolve it) .  CEDR are going make an initial assessment as to whether or not the dispute falls within the scope of the Scheme.    

Would anyone happen to know whether any compensation claim would be jeopardised if I was to cancel my VM order at this point?    I have asked CEDR but they can't tell me because they are not an advisory service.     

I'll keep everyone posted here - again because it may help others in a similar situation.

Thank you

[Andrew-G]

@JBe Would anyone happen to know whether any compensation claim would be jeopardised if I was to cancel my VM order at this point? 

In theory it shouldn't because your claim is (in broad terms) for the failure to fulfil a contract both parties agreed to, and if you were to cancel say tomorrow, that would limit the duration taken into consideration when calculating any potential compensation, but would not be material to entitlement prior to the cancellation.  CISAS definition of a customer includes those who have requested services, so the fact that you haven't yet and might never be charged should not matter. 

However, I'd say give thought to letting things run - maybe let VM install (if they ever get round to it) any compensation would be provided as a credit on your VM account.  You can cancel as soon as it's connected under cooling off rights, and should then get any credit balance refunded, whilst having a viable cable connection if you should at some later point in time change your mind and give VM another chance.  I'd like to point out that this splendidly Machiavellian strategy was not my idea, the individual who proposed this knows who they are!  The downside to this is the possibly ongoing hassle of broken appointments, and the wall drilling and fixing of boxes for the cable connection that may then sit unused.

I have a suspicion CISAS may say they can't take on the complaint if you haven't cancelled because they deem the matter is already adequately covered by the guaranteed compensation payments scheme.  In that case you have the following options:

1) Forget compensation, cancel VM, deep breath and get on with your life.  Simple, and effective.

2) As above - allow VM to install, make sure the compensation appears as a credit on the account and cancel within your 14 days - again you should get any credit balance refunded.  Potentially simple subject to observations in paragraph above.

3) Cancel VM prior to installation.  I'm very sure VM will say "no compensation as we only offer it as credit to a live customer account".  Return to CISAS claiming compensation and pointing out that VM's guaranteed payments scheme doesn't apply where the customer (quite reasonably) gives up and cancels - but that shouldn't negate the validity of the claim from the date of originally offered connection up until the date you cancelled due to non-fulfilment.  You may need to ask VM for a settlement again in this case so that you have proof for CISAS that they refused, and you might need to make a Subject Access Request to VM for all recordings, chat details and so forth.  All of this could drag it out by a couple of months or more, as well as incurring a lot of costs for VM. 

Note for forum staff: Isn't this something you can escalate (eg to CEO Complaints) for some competent, UK based employee to have an adult discussion with the OP, and agree some mutually acceptable outcome?  It's not a good situation and it's looking to get messy, surely a disputed case with CISAS is going to be worse and slower for both parties, and more expensive for the company?  

[JBe]

Thanks Andrew - that's a fantastic post and really helpful - totally understand and agree with it all.

I think I'll keep it running as-is for now, but having to continue with the soul-sapping fake promises and VM Engineers turning up looking like lost sheep is daunting to say the least.    This is an episode of my life I reeeeaaaallly want to move on from to be honest.   I've got far bigger things to worry about.

That said - I can be a tenacious bugger when I want to be and can't or won't let this drop easily.   I (and others) deserve to be compensated fairly for costs and time wasted.  As mentioned previously if sharing my experiences helps just one other person here then that's got to be worth doing in my book.   Although I'm not naive enough to think VM will alter their processes one bit.

Your closing paragraph really hits the nail on the head:

"Note for forum staff: Isn't this something you can escalate (eg to CEO Complaints) for some competent, UK based employee to have an adult discussion with the OP, and agree some mutually acceptable outcome? " 

All I've ever wanted is for that to happen - one quick phone call from a normal UK based person (with their full name and direct contact details so I avoid the Call Centre pantomime) and a sensible discussion to drive this to completion.    I won't bite, shout, swear or be unprofessional  😁

[Ayisha_B]

Hi @JBe,

I can see Lee has referred this to the Area Field Manager as per his PM to you.

As soon as there's any further updates, Lee will come back to you.

Thank you for your patience.